In Re AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP v. the State of Texas

ACCEPTED
15-25-00088-CV
FIFTEENTH COURT OF APPEALS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
11/18/2025 1:42 PM
CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
CLERK
Samuel F. Baxter 104 E. Houston Street, Suite 300 Telephone: (903) 923-9002
sbaxter@McKoolSmith.com Marshall, Texas 75670 FILED
Facsimile: IN 923-9095
(903)
15th COURT OF APPEALS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
November 18, 2025 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM
CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE
Via ECF Clerk

Christopher R. Prine
Clerk of Court
Fifteenth Court of Appeals
P.O. Box 12852
Austin, Texas 78711

Re: In re AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, No. 15-25-00088

Dear Mr. Prine:

This responds to the correspondence sent by counsel for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
(“AstraZeneca”) on November 14, 2025, which, while characterized as a “status report,” attempts
to nudge the Court to grant AstraZeneca’s mandamus petition.

First, AstraZeneca complains that it is facing imminent pre-trial deadlines. This is
unremarkable given that this case has been pending for over three years. Indeed, but for a very
recent request that the State of Texas and Relators accommodate a personal matter affecting one
of AstraZeneca’s Harrison County-based trial counsel, jury selection was set to commence on
December 1, 2025.1

Second, AstraZeneca complains about the “burdens of preparing for trial in a disputed
venue.” But not one of AstraZeneca’s designated trial witnesses lives or works in Travis County;
rather, they live in Delaware, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and various locations in Texas
nowhere near Travis County. Nor does trial in Harrison County present a burden for AstraZeneca’s
counsel, who are based in Marshall, TX, Washington, D.C., Houston, TX, and Philadelphia, PA.

Finally, AstraZeneca asserts that a decision on its mandamus petition “will support the
efficient administration of justice.” AstraZeneca overlooks that it hampered the efficient
administration of justice when it filed a venue challenge that misstated its connections to the forum
and, once it lost, purposefully waited 21 months to file a mandamus petition. See Resp. to Pet. for
Writ of Mandamus at 10-13, 16-20. Nor is the goal of efficient administration of justice served
when a busy trial court that has already ruled on special exceptions, a venue challenge, and motions
to compel—and is now reviewing voluminous summary judgment and Robinson motions—is

1
To accommodate this issue, the Harrison County court is reworking its trial calendar, and the
expectation is that trial will take place in January 2026.
McKool Smith
A Professional Corporation • Attorneys
Austin | Dallas | Houston | Los Angeles | Marshall | New York | Washington, DC

4902-1163-6602
November 18, 2025
Page 2

relieved of duty just weeks before trial. But that is what AstraZeneca requests in its mandamus
petition and November 14, 2025 correspondence.

We thank the Court for its attention to this matter.

Samuel F. Baxter

Cc: Counsel of Record, via ECF

4902-1163-6602
Automated Certificate of eService
This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system.
The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system
on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing
certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a
certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Envelope ID: 108182513
Filing Code Description: Letter
Filing Description: S. Baxter letter to Court responding to Defendants'
11/14/2025 Status Report
Status as of 11/18/2025 1:45 PM CST

Case Contacts

Name BarNumber Email TimestampSubmitted Status

Kennon L.Wooten kwooten@scottdoug.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Angela Goldberg agoldberg@scottdoug.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Jonathan Wilkerson 24050162 jonathan.wilkerson@lanierlawfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Melissa Smith 24001351 melissa@gillamsmithlaw.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

William Peterson 24065901 william.peterson@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Samuel Baxter 1938000 sbaxter@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Brian McBride 24002554 scott.mcbride@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Zeke DeRose 24057421 zeke.derose@lanierlawfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Jennifer Truelove 24012906 jtruelove@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Alex Brown 24026964 alex.brown@lanierlawfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Lynne Kurtz-Citrin 24081425 lynne.kurtz-citrin@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Jonathan Bonilla 24073939 Jonathan.Bonilla@hhs.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

W. Mark Lanier 11934600 jrm@lanierlawfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Heidi Rasmussen 24090345 heidi.rasmussen@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Nadia Burns 24041176 nadia.burns@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Ruth Adams radams@scottdoug.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Paige Cheung 24116193 paige.cheung@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Steve McConnico smcconnico@scottdoug.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Jordan Kadjar jkadjar@scottdoug.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

John Dodds john.dodds@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Erica Jaffe erica.jaffe@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

W. Mark Lanier WML@LanierLawFirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT
Automated Certificate of eService
This automated certificate of service was created by the efiling system.
The filer served this document via email generated by the efiling system
on the date and to the persons listed below. The rules governing
certificates of service have not changed. Filers must still provide a
certificate of service that complies with all applicable rules.

Envelope ID: 108182513
Filing Code Description: Letter
Filing Description: S. Baxter letter to Court responding to Defendants'
11/14/2025 Status Report
Status as of 11/18/2025 1:45 PM CST

Case Contacts

W. Mark Lanier WML@LanierLawFirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Vivian Egbu vivian.egbu@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Lauren Sibley lauren.sibley@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Steven Strauss steven.strauss@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

joel leach jleach@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

denise lopez dlopez@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Cynthia Lu cynthia.lu@oag.texas.gov 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM ERROR

Angel Devine adevine@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Radu Lelutiu rlelutiu@mckoolsmith.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Ryan McCarthy ryan.mccarthy@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Bradie Williams bradie.williams@morganlewis.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Joshua Morrow josh@lkcfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Scott Keller scott@lkcfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Andrew Davis andrew@lkcfirm.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT

Cathy Hodges catherine.hodges@aporter.com 11/18/2025 1:42:25 PM SENT